Stuffed zucchini with avgolemono

To cook the zucchinis:

Trim the stalk end from the zucchinis and cut them in half. Using a small sharp vegetable knife or an apple corer, scoop out the flesh to make a cavity about 7 or 8cm long without piercing the skin or the end.

Place the rice in a large mixing bowl with the lamb, onion, garlic, egg, ouzo, parsley, spices, salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and use your hands to mix everything thoroughly. Using your fingers, fill the zucchinis with the stuffing, pushing it right down to the end of the cavity. Do not overfill. Arrange the stuffed zucchinis in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish. Pour on the water and remaining olive oil and cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 50minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 15minutes.

Lift zucchini onto a serving dish and use 250ml of the remaining cooking liquid to make the avgolemono.

To make avgolemono:

In a small saucepan, bring the cooking liquid back to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Gradually pour in the boiling cooking liquid and stock, if using, whisking all the time until the sauce is thick and frothy. Fold in the chopped dill, if using, and serve while warm.

Divide the stuffed zucchini halves between 4 shallow soup bowls and spoon over a generous amount of avgolemono as you serve.